


Portia, Shylock, Jessica

by bewareofitalics



Category: Merchant of Venice - Shakespeare
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-27
Updated: 2013-05-27
Packaged: 2017-12-13 04:55:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/820231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bewareofitalics/pseuds/bewareofitalics
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The <em>Merchant</em> characters deal with the consequences of their actions.  Three ficlets.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Portia, Shylock, Jessica

**Author's Note:**

> As a Jewish Shakespeare fan, I have Issues with _The Merchant of Venice_. These are some of my attempts at working them out. "Portia" is AU, "Shylock" and "Jessica" are not.
> 
> Written between 2005 and 2007.

**Portia**

“A sentence: come, prepare!”

Portia is prepared – has been prepared since before she set foot in the courtroom. The word “tarry” is on her tongue as she watches the merchant and the Jew, waiting for the perfect moment.

One moment before that moment, Bassanio, with a wild cry, presses his lips to those of his friend. “Tarry” sticks in Portia’s throat and melts away.

“And if the heart is pierced and life is taken,” says Portia, “the court awards it, and the Jew receives it.” She nods to Shylock, ignores her husband’s pleas. “Take your forfeit.”

The knife comes down.

**Shylock**

He is praying when they come. He rocks back and forth, choked with chanting, _tefillin_ wrapped so tightly that his fingers scarcely feel the prayer book in their grasp.

He does not hear them knocking at the door. They break it down.

He signs his life away, leaving his wealth to enemies and a daughter he regards as dead. The last paper gives him pause. “This one, I will not sign,” he says.

“You must,” they say, “or it is your life.”

“Better my life than my God. I will not sign.”

They need no chains to take him away.

**Jessica**

The first time that Jessica tastes pork, she feels a thrill of the forbidden that lasts until she starts retching. All conversation at the table abruptly stops as Lorenzo tries to comfort his wife. Jessica swallows hard and laughs nervously. Portia raises an eyebrow, but the feast goes on, and soon the room is once more buzzing with the triumphant tale of Shylock’s downfall.

Jessica decides to try another dish.

Months later, a son is born. Lorenzo is overjoyed, and Jessica has a week of perfect happiness. The eighth day feels empty, the ninth better but still odd. It is not until the tenth day, when the boy is baptized, that Jessica realizes there has been no _brit milah_.

When their daughter is born, Lorenzo offers to name her after Jessica’s mother. Jessica refuses, and instead the child is named Maria. But the suggestion awakens memories of her mother, and Jessica suddenly wishes she could teach her daughter to light the Sabbath candles. 

Years later, Jessica watches her children in church, kneeling and praying before statues, candlelight making haloes of their curls. And she suddenly sees herself doing the same. Her head spins, and the taste of pork is everywhere.


End file.
